Hay rack



June 23, 1942.

T. E. slKE's HAY RACK Filed Jan. 27; 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet `l bten/umg Patented June 23, 1942 UNITED STATES HAY RACK Thomas Edgar Sikes, Greensboro, N. C.

Application January 27, 1941, Serial No. 376,219 4 claims. (c1. 2li-,29)

This invention relates to hay racks, and the like, and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and'eicient foldable rack spe.- cially constructed for supporting soy beans, peanuts,` legume'hay, etc., in a field for the purpose ofdrying.

A further object of this invention is the production of an eflicient locking means for holding the legs of the rack in a braced and set-up position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention willV appear throughout the following specification Yand claims.

In the drawings:

-'Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the rack iny a set-up position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the pivot connection'for the legs, the legs being broken away; Figure' 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3*-3 vof Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View o a portion of one leg and brace, showing the lockingmeans therefor;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the vouter end of one of the braces;

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the rack in its folded position; Y Y Figure 8 is avertical sectional view taken o line 8--8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 7.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I0 designates the head of the rack which is preferably hollow and square in cross section. A brace-carrying leg I I and a brace-engaging leg I2 are pivotally secured on opposite sides of the head III by means of a journal pin I3.

A second brace-carrying leg I 4 and a second braceengaging leg I5 are pivotally secured on opposite sides of the head I0 by means of a journal pin I5 extending at right angles to the movement of' swing of the legs I4 and I5. The legs II, I2, I 4-and I5v are preferably made of a light angle iron structure of suitable gauge and size,

vas shown.

also with a retaining arm receiving notch 23 formed in the outer edge thereof, the notches 22 and 23 being formed adjacent the portion of the angle brace I1 which extends at substantially right angles to the portion 2|).

A brace 24 is pivotally secured, as at 2,5, to the leg I4 and this brace 24 is provided with a lug 23EL formed similarly to the lug 2I. The brace 24 is a duplicate in structure of the brace Il. A plurality of retaining arms 25 are pivotally secured to the legs II, I2, I4 and I5, as shown in Figure l, the inner ends of the retaining arms 26 being adapted to abut against the respective legs when the arms are swung outwardly, as shown in Figure 1, to hold the arms in an extended position to assist in supporting the weight of hay, soy beans, peanut vines and the like when stacked upon the rack. These retaining arms 26 may be folded inwardly toward the legs in the manner shown in Figure 7, and the legs may also be folded to the position shown in Figure '7 to provide a compact structure to facilitate shipment and storage. The braces I'I and 24 may also be folded longitudinally of their respective carrying legs so as to lie flat against the same in the manner shown in Figures 8 and 9 when the device is in a folded position. When the rack is set up the braces Il and 24 are adapted to extend in crossed overlapped relation such as is shown in Figures l and 3, the-outer end of the brace II being adapted to engage the leg I2 and the outer end of the brace 24 being adapted to engage the leg I5, as shown.

The retaining arms 26 are preferably formed of an angle iron structure, as illustrated in detail in Figure 5, and the lower retaining arm 25 carriedV by the leg I2 and the lower retaining arm 26 carried vby the leg I5 are adaptedto fit within the notches 23 of the lugs 2l and 23a respectively to hold the respective braces I'l and 24 against accidental release with respect to the supporting legs of the rack. It should be understood that the socket I9 for example, shown in Figure 5 with respect to the brace I'I is of suicient size to permit the leg I2 to fit within the socket I9 and one flange of the leg I2 is then moved into the notch 22 to lock the brace I1 against lateral movement. The brace I'I is then forced downwardly to cause the lower retaining arm 26 shown in Figure 5 to engage the notch 23 and thereby lock the outer end of the brace Il in firm engagement with the leg I2 in the manner shown in Figure 5. As stated above, the outer end of the brace 24 is connected to the leg I5 in the same manner as that described and illustrated in Figure 5. It will be seen by carefully considering the drawing that all of the retaining arms 26 are provided with inner end portions cut on an incline at a proper angle to support the retaining arms 26 in an approximately rightangularly extended relation with respect to the supporting legs when these retaining arms 26 are swung outwardly.

The legs II and I2 are pivotally secured to the head I!) and when the device is set-up, the legs II and I2 are spread apart at their lower ends and the legs I4 and I5 are also spread apart at their lower ends in a direction at right ang-les t the legs II and I2 to provide a substantially cone-shaped rack. The braces properly secured at their outer; ends to therespective legs I2 and I5 in the manner previously described and the outer ends of the-braces I'Iand 24 are brought into engagement withfthelower retaining arms 26 carried by the respective legs l2 and I5, thereby firmly locking the rack in a set-up position. All of the retaining arms 26 are then swung outwardly until their inner ends abut against the respective supporting legs. These retaining arms by-extending upwardly-at an incline and outwardly with respect tothelegs will provide eflicient supports or ho'okstobeiengaged by material such as soy beans, peanut vines, hay, and the like, and to support this-material in a stack for. Ythe purpose ofdrying. When the rack has performed its `serviceand it is desired to transport the rack to anotherfplaca'or to store the same for future use,`.fthe braces II and 24 are released from the respective'legs 'I2 and I5 by swinging the braces upwardly'so as vto release the same from the retaining arms whereupon the braces may be detached from the legs I2 and I5. By moving the legs I2- and I5 outof the notches formed adjacent the lugs .2I and 23a, such for instance as the-notch I9-shown in Figure 5. The braces I I andf24 may bethen swung to extend parallel to the. supporting legs I I and I4, the retaining arms being swung inwardly to lie flat within the channelsfof their respective legs, and the legs II, I2, I4 and I5,may l then be swung to lie substantially nat against each other in the position-shown inl Figures 'l and 9, thereby accommodating the rack to a small amount of space.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the construction -may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 1. A knock-down rack of the class described comprising a` plurality of pivotally connected legs mounted for swinging movement to provide a substantially cone-like supporting rack when in a set-up. position, braces for supporting the legs in a set-up position, pivotally mounted outwardly swingingretaining arms carried'bysaid legs, and said braces having means engageable byA some of said retaining arms for locking said braces against. accidental detachment from said legs.

2. A knock-down rack of the class described comprising a head, a pair of legs of an angle iron structure pivotally secured to said head and adapted to swing in opposite directions, a second I'I and 24 are pair of legs pivotally secured to said head at right angles to the rst mentioned legs, the legs of the second pair being adapted to swing away from each other, the legs when in a set-up position dening a substantially cone-shaped frame-work, a plurality of retaining arms pivotally secured to said legs, a brace pivotally secured to one leg of each pair and adapted to extend transversely from one leg of one pair to the other leg of the sameV pair, each brace having a locking means .at its outer end for engaging the companion leg of each pair, said locking means comprising a lug formed at the outer end of the brace, the brace having a socket formed adjacent the lug for regceiving a leg, the lug having a notch formed uponits-innervedge for receiving the angle portion of a leg, and the lug also having a notch formed in its outeredge for receiving one of said retaining arms to hold the brace against independent movement with respect to its engaging leg.

3. A knock-downY-rack ofthe classidescribed comprising a head,- apairfof flegs .of any angle iron structure pivotally securedltosaidhead and adapted to swing in opposite? directions, a. second pair of legs pivotally secured to said headlat right angles-to the first mentioned legs, the legsrof the second pair being adaptedzlto swing away from each other, 'the legs .when in: a set-upzposition defining a substantially cone-shaped Aframe-work,

a plurality of retaining.arms,;pivotally secured to said legs, a brace pivotally secured .toone leg of each pair and adapted toextend transversely from one leg yof one pair to theother leg "of the same pair, each brace having a'locking: means at its outer end for engagingfthe companion leg of each pair, said locking means comprising a lug formed at the outerlen'dwof' the brace, the brace having a socket' formed'adjacent'lthe lug for receiving a leg, the lug having a notchformed upon its inner edge for receiving theangle portionof a leg, the lugalso having a notch formed in its outer'edge'for receiving'oneofsaid retaining arms to hold the vbrace .against .independent movement ,withr respect fto: itsengaging leg, and each retaining arm' havingan inclined inner end adaptedv to .'abut'againsti itsrsupporting leg to provide a stop to hold'y the'retaining arm in an extended position at an: angle to the longitudinal axis of its supporting leg when thedevice is in a set-up position.

4. A rack of the class described comprising a pair of pivotally connected legs, adapted to swing in opposite directions, a second-pairlof pivotally secured legs also adaptedv t0 swing in opposite directions, means fory connecting ythepairs of legs together to mount the pairsatf-rightiangles to each other, braces for holding'the legs of each pair in spread-apart'relationfthe braces being foldable with respect tothe legs, and retaining arms kpivotally secured` to the legs and adapted to be moved outwardly of the legs, the retaining arms and the braces all.being' foldable lto vlie flat and longitudinal'of the legs,.and the legs being adapted to bemoved to extend in kparallel relation with respect to each other vto accommodate the rack in a minimumamount'off space when' the rack is in a knocked-down-fposition.

THOMAS 'EDGAR'SIKES 

